


all we are is skin and bone trained to get along

by lostariels



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Powers, Crushes, Doctors, F/F, Hospitals, Idiots in Love, Meet-Cute, Miscommunication, Pining, Secret Crush
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-03
Updated: 2021-01-08
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:42:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,040
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27851070
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lostariels/pseuds/lostariels
Summary: “I’ve got to meet with a few people first, but I’ll see both of you later,” Lena said, punching the floor number and squeezing Sam’s arm encouragingly.“Will you be meeting with Doctor Danvers before our appointment?”Shrugging, Lena arched an eyebrow at Sam as a smile dimpled her cheek, “I don’t know who’s going to be there, although I am intrigued by why you’re so eager for me to meet this doctor.”
Relationships: Kara Danvers/Lena Luthor
Comments: 113
Kudos: 1187





	1. Chapter 1

“Aunt Lena!”

“Hey, kiddo,” Lena smiled as she slammed her car door shut and locked it.

Walking over to Sam and Ruby, she ruffled the latter’s hair and plucked a coffee from the cardboard tray she carried, handing it off to Sam. She could feel the nervous energy radiating from her friend and gently nudged her with her elbow, raising her eyebrows imperceptibly, before she grinned down at Ruby.

“Ready for the big day?”

“Are  _ you?”  _ Sam sceptically asked.

Rolling her eyes and handing her half-empty coffee cup to Ruby to hold, Lena took hold of the wheelchair and started for the doors. “Just another day,” Lena shrugged with nonchalance, squinting at the chrome and glass building rising before them, “all hospitals are the same.”

“Mm, except this one is the  _ best _ right? That’s why you had us move out here with you.”

“Of course it’s the best,” Lena smiled, “any hospital I work at is the best.”

Ruby laughed as Lena gave her a quick wink, making for the automatic sliding doors, which parted to admit them. The atrium spread out around them, walkways crossing overhead, five stories high, and Lena brought them to a stop at the elevators, pressing a hand to Sam’s back as she handed off the wheelchair and adjusted her bag on her shoulder.

“I’ve got to meet with a few people first, but I’ll see both of you later,” Lena said, punching the floor number and squeezing Sam’s arm encouragingly. 

“Will you be meeting with Doctor Danvers before our appointment?”

Shrugging, Lena arched an eyebrow at Sam as a smile dimpled her cheek, “I don’t know who’s going to be there, although I  _ am _ intrigued by  _ why _ you’re so eager for me to meet this doctor.”

“She’s great,” Sam flippantly replied, a spark in her hazel eyes, “I think you’ll like her, and if you’re going to be working closely together then …”

Waving a hand, Lena sighed, “okay, okay, you are  _ not _ playing matchmaker on your first day. This is about your  _ daughter _ , might I remind you.”

“Ruby likes Doctor Danvers too.”

“And that’s such a character reference,” Lena snorted, “of  _ course _ a kid is going to like the person who chopped off their leg to save their life. Doctor’s  _ thrive _ off of being glorified for saving people’s lives. I swear, they all have massive egos and are the  _ most _ arrogant people you could ever meet.”

_ “You’re _ a doctor, in case you’ve forgotten.”

_ “Surgeons _ though. They’re another breed entirely. I’ve never met a surgeon without a God complex.”

Clucking her tongue, Sam shook her head as the doors dinged, “you’re so  _ cynical _ . You could at least pretend that you’re going to make an effort to make friends.”

Waving her out first, Lena smiled wryly, “I don’t need any more friends; that’s why I made you come here with me.”

“And here I thought it was to  _ save my daughter’s life _ .”

Hesitating, Lena’s brow furrowed before she shrugged and chuckled, “that too, of course. Okay, got to run before I’m late on my official first day. The canteen was on the second floor when they gave me the tour; I’ll see you in an hour.”

“Good luck!”

“I don’t need luck, I’ve got  _ degrees.” _

Snorting as Lena breezed past her, Sam called after her, “and  _ who’s _ the arrogant one?”

Turning and spreading her hands as she grinned, Lena shrugged helplessly, “I never said I was excluded; I’m just not a surgeon!”

As it was, Lena didn’t meet the Doctor Danvers that Sam was talking about as she met with some of her new coworkers and her department head. Ruby was to be her first patient at the hospital, ready for her pre-prosthetic rehabilitation plan to be outlined by Lena and the rest of the team. They’d need Ruby to undertake exercise therapy and get used to early walking aids before she reached the next stage of being fitted for a prosthetic leg by Lena, but Lena was confident that she’d adjust well to the new change in her mobility. And as a prosthetist, Lena would work tirelessly to measure and fit her with the best she could make.

She was chatting to her co-worker, a physiatrist called Andrea that Lena had worked with briefly as a resident in Metropolis, when they finally made their way towards the room where Sam and Ruby were waiting. As they stepped inside, Lena’s eyebrows rose in a look of curiosity at the sight of a blonde doctor perched on the edge of the long board table, her broad back put to Lena as she laughed, the sound rich and warm.

“Lena! You’re here,” Sam said with an eager smile, a knowing look in her eyes as they drifted to the blonde and back to Lena.

Mouth thinning into a grim line, Lena gave her a stern look as she quickly came to the conclusion that this was the doctor her best friend was so keen for her to meet. Arranging her expression into one of professional politeness, a faint smile curling her mouth, Lena followed Andrea further in and tried to mask her initial surprise as the blonde glanced at her.

Blue eyes in a suntanned face that spoke of days spent outdoors, a pair of plastic-rimmed glasses catching the light of the room as her eyes crinkled endearingly. There was a smattering of freckles across her nose and she smiled at Lena like she was an old friend she was excited to see. Her forearms were taut with wiry muscle as she eagerly thrust a hand towards Lena.

“Ah! You must be our new prosthetist, welcome! I’m Doctor Kara Danvers, orthopaedic surgeon.”

Shaking her hand, her grip firm and slightly calloused from her hours spent using tools to create her prosthetics, Lena gave her a wry smile, “ah, so  _ you’re _ the one who chopped my goddaughter’s leg off?”

Pausing slightly with a stricken look on her face, Kara’s smile turned crooked as she slowly let go of Lena’s hand. A look of amusement flashed across Lena’s face and she winked at Ruby, ignored Sam’s scowl of irritation, and looked back at Kara.

“You did a good job, thank you.”

With a strained smile, Kara nodded, “right, well, kids bounce back better from osteosarcomas so … anyway, um, so I’ll be on this case with you and Doctor Rojas. Today we’ll be discussing the treatment plan for Ruby,” Kara said, glancing at the teen lounging in her wheelchair, looking bored, “um, I think your role will come into play in the next stage when we get to casting and measuring-”

“I’m actually a doctor,” Lena interjected, pulling out a chair at the head and taking a seat, giving Kara a quick smile, “a registered physiatrist like Doctor Rojas. We were actually residents together.”

Blinking in surprise, Kara slid off the desk and pulled a chair out on Lena’s left, sinking down onto it as intrigue lit up her eyes, “oh, my apologies, I didn’t realise you were a doctor too.”

Waving a hand dismissively, Lena gave her another smile, “nothing to worry about, it happens all the time. Now, shall we?”

The meeting lasted an hour as they ran Sam through the step-by-step plan for Ruby’s post-op recovery, starting with residual limb care for limb shaping and organising a physical therapist for pre-prosthetic training to help make the transition to Ruby using an artificial leg as easy as possible. If she was already walking with some assistance, and maintained her range of motion from before she was operated on, it would help immensely.

By the time they were done, Lena was feeling pleased with the care the hospital would be able to offer Ruby, glad that she’d nagged Sam into bringing her to National City for the operation while Lena packed up her apartment and took the job offer at National City Children’s Hospital. Even Sam seemed somewhat relieved and a little less weary than she had been for the past few weeks, taking care of her daughter after her operation, with no support save for Lena, who tried her best to help as much as she could.

She walked Sam and Ruby to the elevator and said goodbye, waving slightly as she smiled at Ruby through the closing doors, before shoving her hands into the pockets of her white coat and making for the hallway to the lab where she would undoubtedly spend most of her time.

“Hey, Doctor Luthor!”

Glancing over her shoulder with eyebrows slightly raised in surprise, Lena watched Kara half-jog towards her, a smile on her face as she fell into step beside her.

“Sorry about earlier. I didn’t mean to undermine your role here and I didn’t know you were a doctor.”

Snorting, Lena waved a hand, “don’t worry about it; no harm, no foul.”

“Yeah, but isn’t that title the whole reason we go through all that time at med school,” Kara chuckled, a wry curl to her lips. “It’s a bit annoying to not get to use it after all that effort.”

A faint smile pulled at the corners of Lena’s lips as she looked straight ahead, “you became a surgeon  _ just _ for the title?”

“Well … no, but it irritates me when I get  _ Miss _ all the time. Why? What’d you become a physiatrist for?”

“I was on track to become an orthopaedic surgeon too, actually. My brother ended up paralysed after a skiing accident. Paraplegic. Never to walk again. I switched to physiatry after going to his medical appointments and realising how much care goes into treating people with spinal cord injuries or amputated limbs. It was personal, I guess.”

“And as a prosthetist?”

Giving her a quick smile, Lena shrugged, “I’ve always been good with my hands, part of what made me choose ortho. It’s very  _ physical _ with patients, and I’ve always been interested in mechanics. Creating prosthetics just seemed like another step towards helping people, even if it’s not quite as prestigious as being a doctor.”

“I have a lot of respect for prosthetists,” Kara softly proclaimed, her cheeks a little rosy as she ducked her head, “and any medical professionals; doctors or not.”

Cocking her head to the side as she studied her, Lena’s brows faintly furrowed as her eyes narrowed, “hm, that makes you the rare surgeon then.”

With a scoff of laughter, Kara wrinkled her nose as her cheeks dimpled, “yeah, I’ve met a fair few of  _ those _ ones myself. There are a lot of nice ones here though. We’re actually getting drinks tonight at the bar across the street if you’d like to join us. Meet some people.”

“It’s not like … an elitist surgeon’s group or something?” Lena said with faint sarcasm.

“No! Plenty of nurses, anaesthetists, radiologists and all sorts come too. There’s a motley gang of us all there every night of the week, it’s good fun. I can introduce you to some of the others. I don’t know how many of them you’ll end up working with, but it’s always helpful to know all the staff.”

“Right, yeah, that- that sounds fun.”

“Great! It’s called Noonan’s. Right across the parking lot, you can’t miss it.”

Nodding, Lena filed the information away for later and gave Kara a small smile. Despite her reservations at Sam’s eagerness to throw them together, Lena found that she  _ did _ like Kara. She didn’t know her at all, but there was an open warmth to her that was attractive, and Lena could imagine her with the kids, full of childlike wonder and eagerness herself. It made her feel better to know that this was Ruby’s doctor throughout her surgery.

“Alright then. Well, I’ll see you later then,” Lena said with a nod.

Truthfully, she wasn’t sure she wanted to be socialising with strangers after her first shift at a new hospital, but she knew that Sam would berate her if Lena chose to get takeout and bring it to her place instead of making new friends. And Lena  _ was _ curious to meet the people she’d be working with, if not directly. And although she didn’t want to admit it, Sam was right - she  _ did _ like Kara. Perhaps in a purely shallow way, disarmed by her looks, but she seemed sweet too, so different from anyone Lena had dated before. She didn’t know enough about her yet to form an opinion, but Lena was interested, and that was enough for her to accept the offer.

She felt bolstered by her decision as she watched Kara’s face light up a moment later, radiating delight as she gently touched Lena’s arm in parting, “perfect! So … I’ll see you tonight then.”

Lena nodded again and Kara took a few slow steps backwards, smiling at Lena before she turned around and promptly bumped into a nurse. Biting back a laugh, Lena’s face lit up with amusement as she watched Kara steady the woman and then sheepishly glance over at Lena, exaggeratedly wincing when she caught her staring. With a quick wink, Kara carried on her way and rounded a corner.

_ Definitely _ intrigued, Lena slowly continued to the workspace as she mulled over the strange new doctor and her clumsy warmth. Kara almost seemed like a puppy, excited and earnest, her blue eyes bright with happiness. 

It was a long day and Lena met with many patients and doctors to discuss cases, treatment plans, measure for new prosthetics and help fit others. She met with physical therapists on staff and even lingered in one of the exercise rooms to watch the progress of patients, making notes and asking questions. It was less physical than one might have expected, aside from her duties as a prosthetist, and she spent most of it sitting down. She only saw Kara once more on a different consultation with Andrea, finding her eyes drifting to her on more than one occasion.

After they wrapped up, Kara wiping down a whiteboard while Lena and Andrea left with their files in hand, Lena lowered her voice as she walked alongside her old colleague. She didn’t know Andrea  _ that _ well, but seeing as she was the only familiar face around, Lena had no shame asking her.

“Hey, what can you tell me about Doctor Danvers?”

“Doctor Danvers? Not a lot, really. She’s a  _ great _ surgeon. She was an intern here straight out of med school. Probably going to be the next head or ortho.  _ Great _ with kids; they all adore her. Why?”

“Just curious,” Lena muttered, “do you want a coffee?”

“Sure. Tip for you; the best place to get it is in the lobby.”

“Lobby, got it,” Lena nodded, jabbing a finger into the elevator button.

She was standing there waiting when Kara sidled up beside her, looking down at her with a smile on her face as she shoved a pen into her pocket. “Well, if it isn’t my new favourite doctor! You must think I’m stalking you.”

With a small smile, Lena shook her head, watching the doors slide open. She stepped inside and turned around, pushing the lobby button as Kara stepped in. “Should I be flattered?”

“Only if you want to be. Jelly bean?”

Arching an eyebrow, Lena glanced at her as Kara pulled a packet from her pocket and shook it with an expectant look on her face. Shrugging, Lena held a hand out and let her shake a couple into her palm before Kara helped herself to some.

“Thanks.”

“They’re for the kids, but seeing as it’s your first day, I don’t mind sharing.”

“Trying to make a good impression?”

Beaming, Kara tipped her head back and shoved the handful into her mouth, chewing as she looked back at Lena. “Always!”

The elevator dinged on the second floor and Kara stepped off, before holding the door open and leaning back in. “We’re still on for later? I’m off at nine, so I’ll see you then?”

“Yeah, sounds good. I’ll see you then.”

Smiling with what looked like relief, Kara nodded to herself and drew her hand back, waving slightly as the door slid shut. “Bye.”

A bemused look on her face, Lena rode down to the lobby and bought the coffees before getting back to work. It was long, and she spent most of the evening working on prosthetics, staying back until just after nine o’clock before she changed out of her uniform and into the clothes she’d worn in. Andrea was on her way out too, both of them meeting at the elevators.

“Are you going to that bar for drinks?”

“Not tonight,” Andrea wearily replied, “dinner with my fiancé’s parents. Have fun though!”

Lena nodded and they parted at the front doors, Andrea going to her car, while Lena crossed the parking lot and found the neon sign spelling  _ Noonan’s _ before slipping in through the door. It was a dim place, smelling of beer and grease, bringing back too many memories of her internship and residency in Metropolis when they all frequented similar joints after work.

Moving through the room, she saw a couple of familiar faces from the day, scattered around tables in their little cliques or standing at the bar for their orders. She spotted Kara’s blonde hair, burnished in the dim lighting, and moved towards her, somewhat hesitant now that they were off-duty and the blonde was laughing with a group of people Lena didn’t know.

Kara spotted her a few moments later, her face lighting up, and she beckoned Lena over. With a shy smile, Lena stepped up to the group as it opened up to allow her into it, and Kara gave her arm a gentle squeeze of encouragement.

“You made it!”

“Hi.”

“So, how was your first day?”

“Great,” Lena said with a dismissive laugh, her eyes flitting around the other’s faces.

Kara threw an arm around Lena’s shoulders and gestured to the group, “everyone, this is Lena; she’s the physiatrist and prosthetist. This is Winn, he’s a technician. J’onn, head of peds. Jack is an ever-charming surgical nurse. Nia is our new anaesthetist intern. Kelly works on the psych floor as a child psychiatrist. This is Querl, he’s a neurosurgeon.”

Lena shook hands with them all in turn, feeling shyer than she had been to start work, but she found herself unable to feel nervous with Kara’s arm around her shoulder in a comforting manner.

“Drink?” Kara asked, raising her eyebrows at her. “What do you drink? Beer? Whiskey?”

“Sure, beer is fine.”

“Look after her,” Kara warned the group before pushing her way towards the bar.

They included Lena in polite conversation, their easy banter entertaining to watch as they put her at ease, and she was just wondering where Kara had gotten to when someone else joined them. Reddish-brown hair with a shaved side, brown eyes full of curiosity as her gaze landed on Lena, and a somewhat warier glance as she appraised her.

“Hi,” the stranger said, a bewildered look on her face, “are you new?”

“Doctor Lena Luthor,” Lena said, sticking her hand out, “physiatry and prosthetics.”

“Oh, interesting! Doctor Alex Danvers. Cardio surgeon.”

At her name, Lena’s eyes widened a fraction as her lips parted, surprise slamming into her as her stomach plummeted for some unknown reason. She forced her smile to stay in place as her eyes ran over Alex’s face, taking in her features, so different to Kara’s that she came to the startling conclusion that Kara was  _ married _ . She hadn’t even thought to consider it, too wrapped up in trying to uncover more about this doctor that her friend had insisted on trying to set her up with in her own sly way.

“Oh! You’re- it’s nice to meet you!”

Alex shook her hand and they both pulled apart at the arrival of Kara, clutching three beers in hand. She smiled at Lena, handing one off, before giving one to Alex and then wrapping her in a tight hug.

“I missed you today,” Kara said, her voice a low rumble that was nearly swallowed by the noise of the room as she hugged Alex tightly. “How was your day?”

Pulling back, Alex ran a hand through her hair, “yeah, busy. Nine-hour surgery on a kid with a  _ bad _ tumour. Got it all out but he coded twice.”

Rubbing her arm, Kara’s mouth thinned as her expression darkened, before she met Lena’s eyes and the worry receded. Where she stood, a shaft of light illuminated a necklace around Kara’s neck, and Lena picked out a deep blue gemstone and a silver pendant. Faintly, barely visible in the dimness of the bar, Lena could make out an  _ A _ engraved on it.

Taking a sip of beer, the taste sour in her mouth as disappointment deflated her, Lena snuck her phone out of her bag and went to her text chain with Sam, her fingers typing out a rapid message.

**_[Lena]:_ ** _ SHE’S MARRIED!!! _


	2. Chapter 2

“Hey! If it isn’t my favourite physiatrist-slash-prosthetist!”

Lena glanced over her shoulder as she finished filling out a chart in a folder and handed it back to the nurse behind the desk. “Oh, hi.”

“Here, I got you a coffee. One triple shot macchiato.”

Taking the cup, Lena gave her an amused smile, “you’re cheerful this morning. Thank you.”

Shrugging, Kara took a sip of her own coffee and put her other hand in the pocket of her white coat. “I’m  _ always _ cheerful - it’s part of my charm.”

Humming, Lena took a sip of her coffee and blinked back the burning feeling in her eyes, exhaustion slumping her shoulders after the thirty-six-hour shift she’d pulled, filling in for a physiatrist that had called in sick with the flu. She was running on fumes and would’ve been sullen if it was any other doctor talking her ear off at six o’clock in the morning when all she wanted was to be in bed.

“Nice day off yesterday?”

“Mm, it was good,” Kara beamed, “Alex made us dinner; I watched and drank wine. Nothing  _ too _ exciting. Were you here?”

Raking a hand through her hair and pulling the cuff of her coat up to expose the small wristwatch, Lena sighed, “yeah. I’m off the clock in thirty.”

“Well, if you don’t sleep all the way through to tomorrow, there’s drinks tonight.”

With a faint smile and a quiet laugh, Lena glanced sideways at her, “I’ve been here for  _ three months _ now; I think I’ve learned that there are drinks  _ every _ night.”

Holding her hands up defensively, Kara smiled, her nose crinkling as she pushed her glasses up her nose, “just reiterating the invite. You don’t come to them often. What’s wrong? Don’t you like us?”

Lena’s stomach flipped at the pout on Kara’s face and she opened and closed her mouth, feeling her cheeks warm slightly, “no, yeah, of course, I just- my friend, Sam. I help her out a lot. And this job doesn’t leave much room for a social life either.”

“Tell me about it.”

“It must be nice working with Alex,” Lena said, her chest aching slightly in an uncomfortable way that she didn’t quite know how to process. 

All she knew was that Sam had been right when she’d thought Lena would like Kara; she was exactly her type, but frustratingly off the market, much to her dismay. Still, it was nothing more than a slight crush, the enjoyment of having someone be excited to cross paths with her nearly every day, always smiling, always doing what she could to make everyone else smile. It was nice, it made Lena  _ feel _ nice, like she was someone special, even though she knew Kara was friendly with everyone. She didn’t bring  _ everyone _ coffee though.

“It is! With the hours and our different departments, it’s nice to be able to see each other here at least, or else we’d barely see each other. Trying to get us both home at the same time for dinner is almost impossible.”

“How old were you when you met?”

“I was thirteen when it happened,” Kara lightly replied, amused as she wrinkled her nose, “we couldn’t stand each other at the start. God, we practically  _ hated _ each other. I was fifteen when we started liking each other and by the time she went off to college, I loved her to pieces. Now, I can’t imagine ever being without her, or ever  _ not _ liking her.”

Her expression softened and Lena gave her a wan smile, “it must be nice.”

“It is. What about you? You said you have-”

“No,” Lena snorted, shaking her head, “no. The only person I’ve ever had anything close to that with is Sam and we’ve never been more than friends. We met as freshmen in college - different majors - and we’ve been best friends ever since. Hell, we moved across the  _ country _ together.”

“How’s the kiddo doing?”

Nodding, Lena smiled, perking up slightly, “yeah, great. You know how kids are with these types of things. She’s getting her prosthetic tomorrow, actually.”

“No kidding. Let me know when she’s here so I can come and say hi.”

“Sure.”

“Well, gotta run! I have a surgery in an hour and need to check on a post-op.”

Nodding, Lena stopped in the wide hallway and Kara gave her a quick wink and a salute, “see you for drinks tonight.”

“Maybe.”

“Hopefully!” Kara called back over her shoulder, giving her a maddening smile as she widened her eyes, “it’ll be  _ fun!” _

Quietly laughing to herself, Lena finished off her coffee and dumped it in a trash can before finishing off her paperwork and grabbing her things. Changing out of her white coat, she slipped on a camel wool coat and rode the elevator down to the foyer, bumping into Alex, who was rushing in with a coffee, a quick greeting and smile sent Lena’s way before they parted. Despite her confusing feelings for Kara, the buddy crush that still left much to be desired, Lena’s few interactions had only led her to believe that she was kind and perhaps just a touch more serious than her wife.

Climbing into her car, Lena rubbed at her eyes and turned her key in the ignition before driving through the morning traffic jams to her apartment. Taking a quick shower and changing out of her work clothes, the smell of antiseptic clinging to them, she drew the blackout curtains and fell into bed, sleeping coming for her swiftly after so many hours awake that even caffeine couldn’t shoulder for that long.

She slept for fifteen hours, awaking groggy and bleary-eyed as dusk blanketed the city. Glancing at the clock on the bedside table, Lena flopped back against the pillows and felt her body sink into the mattress, limp and uncooperative, until her stomach growled with hunger. Eventually, she dragged herself out of bed and ordered takeout from a nearby Indian restaurant, pouring a glass of wine as she checked her phone for messages. There was one off Sam confirming Ruby’s appointment the following afternoon and a string of texts off Kara asking if she was meeting them for drinks, and then an updated location as everyone went out for dinner. Lena didn’t reply, feeling sheepishly guilty as she ate dinner alone in her spacious apartment.

The night passed slowly, quiet solitude cherished after such a long shift, and it wasn’t long before Lena was asleep again on the sofa with a laptop open to a medical journal in her lap. It was gone midnight when she woke to the flashing lights of the muted TV, blinking as she stared up at the harsh glow of the lightbulb overhead and dragged herself to bed, sleeping until dawn.

Lena wasn’t on-duty until noon and pottered around the apartment to keep herself busy, watering the plants she’d brought to liven up the place, organising her laundry to drop off on the way to work, and getting in some early morning pilates. She grabbed breakfast and lunch to go at a café near the dry cleaners, a breakfast burrito and a packaged chicken sandwich, and pulled into the busy parking lot fifteen minutes early.

Stopping to buy four coffees and a small hot chocolate, she made her way into the hospital foyer, breathing in the air-conditioned coolness, cleaning products, death and antiseptic providing the unique odour to hospitals, and got into the elevator. At her small office, she shrugged her white coat on, grabbed the paperwork and coffees, and made her way to the PT clinic, paging Kara on the way.

Sam was already there with Ruby and Andrea and Lena handed off coffees to them both and the hot chocolate to Ruby, before ruffling her hair and leaning against a table. She sipped her coffee as Andrea finished off answering the question Sam had asked and gave her an encouraging smile.

“Are you ready to see your new leg?” Lena asked, raising her eyebrows as she smiled at Ruby.

By the time Kara arrived, beaming as ever despite the dark circles under her eyes, Lena and Andrea had the new prosthetic fitted to Ruby’s leg, testing the range of motion with it on and talking amongst themselves as they commented on the fit and design of it for her. At the sound of the door opening, Lena glanced up and gave Kara a small smile.

“Look at you, superstar!” Kara exclaimed, “how cool is that?”

Climbing to her feet, Lena wiped her hands on her coat and then paused, blinking, “oh, um, this is for you.”

She moved towards the cupholder and pulled out the last one before handing it over with a smile. Kara took it with a bright smile of her own, thanking her and taking a sip before she arched an eyebrow.

“You bailed on drinks again. I missed you there.”

Feeling her cheeks flush, Lena rubbed the back of her neck, “I- yeah, I needed the sleep.”

Reaching out to give her arm a gentle squeeze, Kara scrunched her nose and pushed her glasses up her nose, “well, next time then. You have to promise.”

Letting out a quiet laugh, Lena shook her head as her cheeks dimpled, “okay, fine. I promise.”

With a final squeeze, Kara stepped away and turned her sunny smile on Ruby, a few wrapped candies taken from her coat pocket to share as she remarked on the new prosthetic leg. Sam saw her opening and was swiftly at Lena’s side while everyone else was preoccupied.

“She asked you out for  _ drinks?” _ Sam whispered. “And you didn’t go?”

Rolling her eyes, Lena’s mouth thinned and she crossed her arms over her chest, “she’s  _ married _ , Sam. I’m not getting mixed up in anything like that. I will  _ not _ be that person.”

“Have you asked her? Or were you just assuming from the necklace? Because I don’t see a ring.”

“That means nothing! Surgeons don’t wear  _ wedding rings _ at work. I’m sure it’s in her pocket or locker or something. Besides, she’s wearing that necklace. The one with the  _ A _ on it; I’ve never seen her without it. And t hey look  _ nothing _ alike! I mean literally  _ nothing _ . Not even a slight resemblance.”

Scoffing Sam rolled her eyes, “just because two people don’t look alike, it doesn’t mean they’re  _ married. _ ”

Sighing, Lena shot her a sideways look of exasperation, “well yesterday she told me they’ve known each other since she was  _ thirteen _ ; that doesn’t  _ scream _ a family relation to me. She said they got together when Alex went away for college.”

Grumbling softly under her breath, Sam gave her a half-hearted smile, “oh … well, at least you know for sure. Still sucks though; I thought I was setting you up with the perfect person for you.”

“Perfect person doesn’t always mean  _ available,” _ Lena hissed.

“Of course it does,” Sam murmured back, “if they were taken then it’s not a perfect match. But still, you could’ve gone out for drinks with her. I mean, all of them. Whoever went. You need to make other friends here aside from  _ me. _ ”

“Why?” Lena laughed with a smile, gently bumping her, “who could be better than you?”

Their conversation trailed off as Kara straightened up and turned to them, giving Lena a bright smile, her blue eyes wide and innocent, an almost ditzy air about her as if Kara was naïve and young. But Lena knew how smart she was and found that she appreciated her exuberance even more so because of it; most smart people she knew in the medical field were strictly cold and unfeeling, so stoic and flat and consumed with work that it was tiring to be around, even though she knew it was a side effect of being surrounded by so much death and suffering. Kara was like a breath of fresh air.

“I have to go do rounds with the residents,” Kara said with an apologetic smile, “I’ll see you later?”

Lena wasn’t sure when exactly she’d see her but she nodded all the same and offered a smile, before Kara turned her attention to Sam and gave her a friendly smile. “It was nice to see you again.”

“Thank you, Doctor Danvers,” Sam smiled back at her.

Kara departed swiftly afterward, followed by Andrea who had another session with a different patient, leaving Lena to help take Ruby’s leg off for a few more alterations she could tinker with to perfect it. Afterward, she walked Sam to the elevator, pushing Ruby along.

“Sorry.”

“It’s fine. I’m sure I’ll get over it; it’s just a stupid crush. I’m too old for that.”

Giving her an exasperated look, Sam took the handles of the wheelchair and pushed her daughter into the elevator, turning her around and staring at Lena as she pushed the floor button.

“No one’s too old for feelings. But you’ll find someone else. Better even.”

The doors slid closed before she could reply and Lena was left staring at the warped reflection in the stainless steel, wondering who could be better than Kara.


	3. Chapter 3

Before she knew it, Lena had been in National City for a little over nine months, finding it surprisingly easy to fall into the routine of work in a new hospital. She rarely had time off, although her hours weren’t as overwhelming as the surgeons, like Kara, but it was  _ fun _ being at the hospital. Lena had always enjoyed her job, watching people take their first steps, figuring out the problem with a faulty prosthetic, working on new ways to make more innovative equipment for her patients. It was satisfying to sit in on sessions with the physiotherapist and watch her treatment plans enacted, seeing a stroke patient move their finger for the first time, helping diagnose chronic pain; it was all rewarding in its own way, and time seemed to fly by with each day dedicated to a new patient. 

And then there was Kara in the middle of it all. Lena saw her a dozen times a day, always with a smile and a quick joke or greeting, her pocket with a never-ending supply of candy that she shared. Lena went to drinks more often than not as time went on, at least twice a week after her late shifts finished, although she never managed to bridge that rift with the rest of the staff. She mostly went for the pleasure of Kara’s company, a painfully pathetic position to put herself in, yet she couldn’t stop, those small moments tucked away together at the end of the bar, talking about their patients for the day making Lena’s heart ache even as she enjoyed herself. 

Her crush didn’t disappear as she’d so readily told Sam it would, but grew and flourished, until it was almost agonising to see Alex show up after surgeries, making straight for Kara. Lena would slip away after that and leave soon after, finishing up her beer and catching a cab. And while her life amassed to day’s spent at the hospital, wearing her white coat and tinkering away in labs or consulting at her desk, to odd days off spent with Sam and Ruby, watching with pride as her goddaughter grew more and more proficient with her prosthetic leg, and sad, stolen interactions with Kara, Lena didn’t think of herself as lonely. Although, she very much did feel  _ stuck. _

It was a helpless kind of stuck too; there was nothing Lena could  _ do _ . Her feelings for Kara only seemed to grow, and she couldn’t avoid her. Not without a reason to so callously give her the shoulder - she didn’t want to hurt Kara’s feelings in the process, after all, it wasn’t her fault she was already married when Lena met her. Quitting and finding a job at another hospital seemed a bit drastic, and Lena was sure that wouldn’t help her  _ not _ feel any feelings of affection towards Kara, even if they didn’t see each other every day. And Lena absolutely wouldn’t even entertain the selfish idea of breaking up a marriage for her own sake. It didn’t even cross her mind, and so she remained stuck, unable to move in any direction as she tried to find some fault in Kara that would switch her feelings off like a light being put out. So far it had been fruitless.

Tuesday was much like any other day as she pulled up outside the hospital, grabbed herself a coffee on the way in and went up to the floor of her department. In her office, she dumped her bag and drained half of her coffee before shrugging into her white coat, trying to wake up properly, having finished late the night before for a last-minute patient diagnosis. It was for a toddler presenting with abnormal symptoms that had left Lena buried in the stacks of the medical library while the doctors ran tests, and resulted in a bedtime past midnight. 

Being back at the hospital before seven let her feeling worn-out and she was taking a few minutes to gather herself, slumped in her wheeled chair as she waited for the caffeine to kick in when there was a knock on the doorframe. Turning in her chair, Lena’s raised eyebrows fell as a tired smile lit up her face at the sight of Kara standing there, faint shadows under her eyes as she stood her surgical scrubs.

“Fresh out of surgery?”

“Hip replacement,” Kara thinly smiled, stepping into the office and taking a seat on the edge of Lena’s desk. “You’re back early.”

Running a hand through her hair, Lena sighed, “yeah, you know how it is. What time are you off?”

“This evening.”

“Ouch,” Lena grumbled, stifling a yawn.

Kara smiled and pushed her glasses up her nose before she lifted the tray with two cups of coffee, “I got you a coffee. I should’ve guessed that you would’ve got one on the way in.”

Softening with a smile, Lena reached out and took the cup, trying not to pull back too fast as Kara’s fingers brushed against hers, feeling dangerously intimate as Lena’s stomach flipped. Looking down, she softly cleared her throat before she met Kara’s eyes and raised the cup.

“You can never have  _ too _ much caffeine. Thank you.”

Wrinkling her nose, Kara’s eyes crinkled, “I don’t think that’s scientifically  _ true.” _

“No, it is,” Lena said as her lips curved into a smile, “never too much.”

Quietly laughing as Lena took a sip, her other coffee forgotten about, for the time being, Kara shifted almost restlessly, uncertainty flashing across her face. “What time are you off tonight?”

“Six.”

“Six? Me too.”

“Any big plans with Alex tonight?” Lena conversationally asked, kicking herself immediately afterwards. She didn’t  _ really _ want to know if Kara had any plans with her wife, only serving to make herself feel even  _ more _ miserable when she found out what those plans were, but she was trying to be friendly. That’s what they were and a friend would ask about someone’s plans with their wife, so why shouldn’t she ask? 

The sting was easily buried as Lena took another sip of coffee, missing the bewildered look that crossed Kara’s face for a brief moment, the way her brow faintly puckered and nervousness lit up her eyes. Rubbing the back of her neck, Kara softly laughed.

“With Alex? No. I, uh, I was actually going to ask if you wanted to go out for drinks afterwards.”

“Tonight?” Lena asked, eyebrows rising.

“Yeah.”

“I, uh, who else is going?”

Hesitating, Kara’s shoulders slumped and disappointment went unnoticed on her face as Lena tipped her head back, taking another sip of coffee, feeling herself finally come alive as it hummed in her veins.

“Who’s going? Oh … um, well, just you and me. I thought that we- you know, that we could-”

It was at that moment that Andrea arrived back at the office, looking exhausted from a night shift, relief flooding her as she sagged at the sight of Lena, there to relieve her. She cast both of them a tired smile as she stepped into the room, shedding her white coat and flopping onto the chair before her desk.

“Morning, you two.”

“Andrea will come,” Lena offered up, swivelling in her chair to raise her eyebrows at the other woman, “right? You’ll come out for drinks.”

Pulling a folder out of a drawer, Andrea nudged it shut with her foot and opened it, glancing over her shoulder in a distracted manner as she pulled a pen from the holder. “Drinks? Tonight?”

“Mhm. You said you’ve got two days off. Noonan’s tonight at six?”

“Six? Sure.”

The smile on Kara’s face was bright and eager, even if it didn’t quite reach her eyes, and Lena turned back to her and returned it with equal delight. “Perfect! Ask around and see if anyone else is going tonight.”

“Right,” Kara quickly agreed, climbing off the desk, “I, uh, I’ll see you both tonight then.”

She left quickly, barely able to finish getting the words out before she was out of the door and Andrea raised an eyebrow at Lena as she let out a snort of laughter, “does she not like me or something?”

Rolling her eyes as she swallowed a mouthful of coffee, Lena set her cup down, “don’t be ridiculous. Why wouldn’t she? She’s probably got rounds with the interns.”

“Mhm. Or she was here to see  _ you.” _

“No shit. She was just inviting me out for drinks because we’re off at the same time.”

“Oh, am I crashing your date?” Andrea slyly replied, raising her eyebrows suggestively.

Flushing, Lena turned her chair back around and pulled herself in close to her desk, tapping on the keys a few times to wake up her computer as she listened to the sound of Andrea’s writing.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Lena scoffed.

_ “Oo _ you _ like _ her, don’t you.”

“I don’t  _ like _ her!” Lena scowled at her screen as it flared to life, typing in her password and bringing up the design of a new neural pathway link prosthetic design she was prototyping. “I just don’t mix my private life with work and will  _ not _ be talking about who I do and don’t like. Besides, it’s not like anything would change even if -  _ if _ , mind you - I did.”

Chuckling to herself, Andrew pulled the drawer open and put her file away before climbing to her feet and grabbing her bag and belongings, “mhm, well, I’ll see you tonight for the date. Do you want me to bring you something nice to put on?”

“What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?” Lena scowled as she plucked at the silk shirt she wore beneath her white coat. “Actually, don’t answer that. It’s not a date anyway - you  _ know _ it wouldn’t be a date.”

“See you later,” Andrea laughed as she walked out of the office.

Shaking her head and muttering to herself, Lena finished off her coffee and the rest of the other cup and tossed them in the trash, before she left the office for one of the workshops and got to work.

The day went quickly, spent tweaking measurements and consulting with other medical engineers, reading up on research about the latest models in prosthetics, and consulting on a few patients. Grabbing an unsatisfying lunch at the cafeteria, Lena’s afternoon was spent working on treatment plans for two new patients and answering a page from an on-call neurologist to start the transition of care with a new patient with a spinal cord injury.

By the time six o’clock came around, she was exhausted and hoping she’d be able to slip out after one drink, with the usual crowd making up for her absence. She couldn’t cancel, of course, not when she’d promised Kara, and assured her the few times they’d crossed paths that day that yes, she  _ was _ still on for drinks later. It almost felt unfair in Lena’s eyes that she was allowing herself to be so forward, so close to Kara, knowing that she harboured secret feelings that were on the verge of becoming more if she wasn’t careful, but it seemed harmless to have a friendship with her, so Lena couldn’t bring herself to say no.

Finishing off the last bit of paperwork she had, she was at the nurse’s station right on time for her shift to end and waited for an extra ten minutes for Kara to arrive. Looking harried and tired, Kara turned up in a rush, shirt buttons misaligned and bag and coat slung over her arm as she gave Lena an apologetic smile.

“Sorry! Last-minute bone re-setting for some poor guy who fell off a roof! The things people get up to, I swear.”

Laughing, Lena fell into step beside her as they made for the elevator, “no problem at all, although,” she leant in close, “you might want to re-button your shirt. It’s on wonky.”

The doors slid open as Kara looked down and let out a small cry of dismay, her cheeks flooding red with embarrassment as she quickly stepped inside, fingers quickly working to recorrect her hasty mistake.

“Thanks,” Kara sheepishly smiled.

“Anytime.”

“Good day?”

Shrugging, Lena glanced sideways at her, “busy. Tiring.  _ You _ must be exhausted.”

Brushing the front of her shirt, Kara hitched her bag up higher on her shoulder and reached up to tighten her ponytail, “yeah, it’s been long. I managed to get in a bit of sleep in an on-call room after my surgery, but  _ God, _ I can’t wait to get into bed.”

“I’m surprised you wanted to do drinks tonight,” Lena mused.

With a crooked smile, Kara pushed her glasses up her nose, “I checked our roster and it was the only night we’re off at the same time so I thought, well, it’s just hard to get you in the same place sometimes.”

Letting out a breathless laugh, Lena waved a hand, “oh, I’m not  _ that _ important to have you work it around my schedule. I’m sure everyone else is good fun anyway.”

“They are,” Kara hesitantly agreed, “but I- I didn’t really care if anyone else came.”

“Don’t flatter me too much or it’ll go straight to my head,” Lena teased as the elevator chimed and the doors opened.

“Well, hey, if it gets you to come out with me,” Kara shrugged with a smile as they crossed the lobby and stepped outside.

It was cold out, Lena wrapping her arms around herself as they briskly walked across the parking lot and made for the dingy bar illuminated across the street. Sirens wailed in the distance, growing closer as ambulances brought in the injured, and it was almost a relief to know that it was on neither of them to respond to it unless they were paged. After a few drinks, they’d be too helpless to be called in anyway and Lena thought that Kara’s pace quickened slightly, almost as if the sirens were encouraging her to get inebriated as quickly as possible to stay off the clock.

Slipping into the bar, Lena ordered the first round of beers and looked around to see if anyone else was there. A few nurses and x-ray and lab technicians, gynaecologists and oncologists and a few of the administration staff were scattered throughout the place, vaguely familiar to Lena after so many months there but nothing more than cordial acquaintances. Kara greeted them all warmly from across the noisy bar before they snagged their own table and were soon joined by Andrea.

“God, it’s getting cold now,” she grumbled, “I may as well have stayed in Metropolis if the weather here is always this bad.”

“It’s nearly Christmas!” Kara exclaimed, “it’s  _ supposed _ to be cold. I wish it would snow though.”

“No, you don’t,” Lena and Andrea both quickly warned her, sharing an exasperated glance from too many snow days cramming accident and emergency with injured people and clogging the ice-slicked streets bumper to bumper when they were rushing to get to the hospital.

They regaled Kara with stories of the bad days during their internship and all the ones heard from surgeons and nurses and other doctors at conventions. Lena considered herself lucky that she didn’t regularly deal with the wounded that flocked in over the holidays, and usually had a relatively quiet roster during that time, only required for a few consultations on new patients that needed diagnosing.

“Any plans for the holidays?” Kara excitedly asked as Andrea went to get their second round of drinks.

“Work,” Lena shrugged, “you know how it is.”

With a sigh and a grimace, Kara nodded, “yeah. But Alex and I usually try and get as many people over to ours as possible on one of the days around Christmas. You know, for some sort of celebratory dinner. If you’re free- I mean, if you don’t have any other plans, you’re welcome to come. Sam and Ruby can come too, of course.”

Blinking in surprise, Lena was silent for a moment, “oh, um, thank you. That would- that would be nice, actually. I know it gets Sam down too, not having a big family for Ruby and all that.”

“Well, ask her and let me know. There’s usually at least a dozen of us. Everyone brings anyone. It’s like a Christmas for all the waifs and strays at the hospital with nowhere to go.”

“Mm, I think my mom is a bit put out that I won’t be around to help with my brother this year. It might be nice to have somewhere to go to while I avoid her passive-aggressive calls.”

“Couldn’t get the time off?” Kara grimly asked.

Wincing, Lena gave her a sheepish smile, “I didn’t try. Honestly, I love my brother, but it’s hard work helping him while being around my mom. She’s … a  _ little _ overbearing. It’s good for him that he has her, of course, but … any celebration usually ends up with a nice family argument, so if I can miss that this year … it’ll be the highlight of the holidays.”

Kara reached over and grabbed her hand and Lena froze momentarily, before giving her an uneven smile and slowly pulling her hand back. Straightening back up as Andrea arrived with their beers, they fell back into conversation and were soon joined by the usual crowd as word must’ve spread via Kara and Lena. Alex was on-call that night and didn’t make an appearance so Lena lingered longer than usual, sitting beside Kara, watching her with badly concealed interest as she lit up, talking animatedly with her hands, making everyone laugh. It made Lena feel good inside to just be around her, that warmth in her chest, and for a little while, she could ignore her feelings and just allow herself to have fun.

The night wore on and the group gathered around the table became a little overwhelming, the heating system combined with the body heat making Lena feel a little claustrophobic, and she excused herself from the table to take a quick break outside in the fresh air. They’d moved from the sour beer to whiskey and a few shots of tequila and she was pleasantly drunk as she stepped outside, the neon lights a nebulous starburst of colour as the hospital across the road stood like an illuminated landmark. A cool wind caressed her flushed cheeks as Lena paced up and down the sidewalk, breathing slowly as she closed her eyes and let the heat sap from her.

After a few minutes, she turned around and found Kara stepping outside, a worried look on her face that quickly melted into relief and delight as she smiled. Crossing the few feet between them, she joined Lena and leant against the wall, looking at her through half-lidded eyes.

“Are you okay?”

“Just getting some air,” Lena quietly replied, a tired smile on her face.

“I’m glad you came tonight.”

Cocking her head to the side as she leant against the wall beside her, Lena slowly smiled as she blinked slowly, “me too. I like spending time with you. I know it sounds silly, but … I don’t have many friends here.”

Kara took her hand, surprisingly warm despite the cold outside, and squeezed gently, staring at Lena with unfocused blue eyes that were warm and still somehow tragically sad. “Well, I like you,” Kara murmured, her lips twitching slightly. “That’s why I wanted to ask you out tonight.”

Lena’s face spasmed with pain and elation, her stomach lurching uncomfortably as Kara fiddled with her fingers. Looking down, Lena blinked in realisation and slowly extracted herself from Kara’s grip, uneasiness focusing her.

“I like you too, but-”

She didn’t get to finish before Kara cut her off, cupping her face in a warm hand and leaning in, kissing her gently, almost achingly sweet as if savouring the moment, before she pushed Lena up against the bricks outside. Mind going blank, Lena’s eyes closed as she let it drag on for a moment, scarcely daring to believe it was happening, before she came back to herself with a jolt of panic.

Grabbing Kara’s upper arms, she forcibly pushed her backwards, watching Kara stumble towards the road before she caught herself. Lena’s face flushed with anger as guilt slammed into her and her face twisted with disgust, roughly wiping her hand across her mouth as she stared at Kara with a livid look in her green eyes.

“What the fuck is  _ wrong _ with you?” Lena snapped.

Looking taken aback by her outburst, Kara’s mouth opened and closed soundlessly as a bewildered look crossed her face, forehead puckering with confusion, “I just- you- I-”

“I’m not into …  _ that,” _ Lena lashed out, her cheeks red as she raked her hand through her hair, “don’t- don’t drag me into … whatever thing you’ve got going on, okay? I’m  _ not _ that person.”

“I just- I’m sorry, but I-”

Kara’s eyes shone with tears as hurt left her stammering and speechless, and Lena looked at her, breathing heavily as the streetlight and neon glow of the bar illuminated that necklace with the  _ A _ on it hanging around Kara’s neck. Stomach turning, Lena heaved as she turned away from Kara and vomited along the wall of the bar, hearing Kara cry out in alarm, her frantic steps crossing the gap.

Holding a hand up to keep her at bay, Lena hunched over as she closed her eyes,  _ “don’t.” _

“Lena-”

“Don’t. Just don’t. Go back inside, Kara. I’m not that person,  _ okay?” _

Swallowing whatever plea was on the tip of her tongue, Kara stared at her for a moment longer, eyes bright with wounded pride, before she stumbled back a step and then turned and fled back inside. Leaning against the cold wall of the bar, Lena remained there for a moment, the taste in her mouth sour as guilt made her feel sick, the harmless thought of spending time with Kara, keeping that distinct line in their relationship, despite her feelings, turning into something  _ more _ . Something dangerous that Lena couldn’t allow herself to get caught up in.

She didn’t even realise she was crying as she pushed off the wall and slowly started walking home, tears sliding down her cheeks as she took each lurching step until a cab stopped for her and she dragged herself into the back and gave the driver her address. He asked her if she was okay, eyeing her in the rearview mirror, and it was only then that Lena realised it, wiping at her wet cheeks as she assured him.

The next day, she put in a leave of absence of work for the holidays and booked a flight back to Metropolis for the day after. Lena didn’t see Kara before she left, too ashamed to even think of running into her or Alex.


	4. Chapter 4

Lena was back in National City mid-January, looking tense and harried as she swept into the hospital for her first shift in the new year, coffee in hand. The first sip had been invigorating, but it did nothing to relax her, not like the antiseptic smell of the lobby as she inhaled and felt the familiar confidence settle over her.  _ This  _ was what she knew, where she belonged.

Still, the matter of Kara cast a pall over her relief at being back at work after the exceedingly  _ long _ , and most definitely painful, ordeal of spending the holidays with her mother. Lena wasn’t sure who she’d rather face again so soon, yet there she was, ten minutes early to her shift, stomach knotted with unease as she made for her office.

“Happy new year,” Andrea drawled as Lena stepped into the office, “glad to be back?”

With a snort, Lena handed her over one of the coffee cups she carried and sat on the edge of her desk. “Unsurprisingly, yes. How’s it been?”

_ “Busy.” _

“Sorry,” Lena winced.

Giving her an easy smile and an unbothered shrug, Andrea arched an eyebrow. “What sent you running off like that anyway? Last you were saying, you weren’t going home.”

“Plans changed,” Lena hedged.

“Mhm.”

Andrea clearly didn’t believe her, and as angry and embarrassed Lena was about what happened with Kara, she didn’t want to tell her about it. If there was one thing hospitals were known for, it was gossip. Even if Andrea didn’t tell anyone, Lena had the nagging suspicion it would get out anyway. The walls seemed to have ears, and if Kara had kept silent - Lena had no doubt she would’ve, banking into Lena keeping quiet about it too - she had no desire to be the one in the spotlight for sneaking around with a married woman.

“Well, I’m glad you’re back,” Andrea said, pushing herself to her feet and setting a hand on Lena’s shoulder, “but we’ve got patients, and you’ve got a  _ lot _ of work to catch up on.”

Grumbling under her breath, Lena nodded and slipped off the desk, taking a swig of coffee before donning her white coat and picking up the tablet with her schedule and documents. She had a patient first thing for a physiotherapy session and finished reading the man’s file before stepping out into the hallway.

In a sick twist of fate, she collided with Kara a moment later, reaching out to steady herself as their eyes met. Neither of them spoke for a moment, and then Kara gave her a wince of a smile.

“You’re … back.”

“I am,” Lena curtly replied, taking a step back as she averted her eyes.

“You, uh, I- we didn’t get a chance to talk about-“

“Yeah, uh, I had to leave pretty suddenly. My brother …”

“Is he okay?” Kara anxiously asked.

“Yeah, he’s fine.”

“Oh. That’s good.”

“Mhm.”

“Listen, Lena-“

Cutting her off with a firm look and tensed shoulders, Lena met her eyes, “we don’t have to talk about it. Let’s just … forget about it, Doctor Danvers.”

A wounded look crossed Kara’s face, a pucker between her brows as her shoulders slumped. There was also a flicker of irritation in her blue eyes, if Lena wasn’t mistaken, rare and intense.

_ “Forget about it?  _ You-“ Kara cut off, pushing her glasses up her nose as she clenched her jaw. “You know what? Fine. Have it your way.”

Lena bristled at her tone, almost astonished at how Kara was acting as if it was  _ her  _ fault that she’d been kissed. Eyes dipping down to the necklace with the  _ A  _ pendant hanging around her neck, Lena felt sick and looked away.

“Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone.”

“I don’t doubt it,” Kara coldly replied before bumping past Lena with her head ducked down, her cheeks pink.

Sighing, Lena lingered in the hallway for a moment, confused and annoyed, before she realised she was going to be late for her patient. Shaking her head, she set off at a brisk pace through the hallways and pushed all thoughts of Kara to the back of her mind.

That was easier said than done, and as the weeks passed by, it didn’t get any easier. Each time she passed Kara in the hallway, she involuntarily tensed, casting furtive glances at her, or at worst, quickly ducking down another hallway or snagging a nurse or doctor to ask a silly question.

She noticed Kara doing the same, both of them studiously avoiding each other wherever possible. Even in their sessions with patients together, they were cordial but cool with each other, and it didn’t go unnoticed by the other hospital staff they interacted with on the daily. Andrea pressed Lena on it a few times, making a few weak jibes at a bad date, but after Lena snapped at her for going too far on one such occasion, she finally dropped it.

It was nearing a year since Lena had first arrived at the hospital, and in some ways, she felt worse off than she had when she’d first arrived. Everyone had been welcoming towards her, invitations to more bars than Lena would ever accept, but they had dwindled as Kara stopped extending them. Lena was under no false impressions that most of the people she’d become friendly with had been of her own doing - aside from Andrea - and with little interaction with some of her friends within the hospital, she spent more time with Sam.

Sam knew everything of course, apologetic as if it was her fault for trying to set Lena up with Ruby’s doctor, and Lena almost felt guilty at the cool way Sam treated Kara in her checkups with Ruby. The understanding was evident in her blue eyes, and she didn’t accuse Lena of being the catalyst behind it, but Lena couldn’t shake the feeling anyway. Despite it all, she couldn’t help but  _ like _ Kara, her chest aching whenever she caught fleeting glimpses of her, so unattainable that, eventually, Lena applied for a position at a different hospital.

The job offer came in quickly and she deliberated, given time to consider the contract. In a thoughtful mood, brooding over which choice to make, Lena surprised Andrea one night, as they were finishing up shifts together, by asking her out for drinks.

They went to Noonan’s despite the risk of Lena bumping into Kara, nearly a sure thing, and found themselves a quiet corner at the back, both of them sitting around the table with the first round of drinks. 

“I got a job offer,” Lena conversationally started, taking a sip of beer as she watched Andrea’s expression change, shock flashing across her face.

_ “Where?” _

“A private clinic downtown. Pays well.”

Spluttering, Andrea leant forward, “what? No, you can’t  _ quit!  _ I know things have been … weird, and I know you won’t tell me why too, but you can’t  _ leave.” _

Lena opened her mouth and Andrea pointed a finger at her, “and don’t tell me it’s about the money. You and I both know neither of us has to work a day in our lives if we don't want to; you’re here for the same reason I am.”

“Maybe it’s just a better job.”

“You  _ love _ your job, Lena! Come on, don’t bullshit me.”

“I’m  _ not _ , I just- I don’t think it’s working out as well as I hoped.”

“What? Because she rejected you? That’s it right? You two haven’t said more than a dozen words to each other in  _ two months  _ because … what? You made a move and she rejected you?”

Anger bubbling up, Lena leant back and drained her drink before scathingly replying, “you don’t know anything about it, okay? I didn’t kiss her, she kissed  _ me.” _

Abruptly climbing to her feet, Lena pushed into the crowd with Andrea’s reply ringing in her ears. “Is that really so bad?”

Shaking her head, Lena moved into a spot at the bar, drumming her fingers on the stained wood as she waited to be served. She needed something stronger than beer, feeling tense and irritable. She was considering leaving, calling to take the offer and just never coming back, when someone stepped up beside her.

Glancing sideways, Lena did a double-take the same time that Alex did as well. Surprise lit up her face and she blinked at Lena before offering her a wary smile.

“Doctor Luthor.”

“Doctor Danvers,” Lena muttered, nodding as she looked straight ahead, eyes roaming over the labels of the bottles of liquor.

“I’m surprised to see you here.”

“Oh, really?” Lena distractedly replied, growing restless as she avoided Alex’s gaze, guilt clawing at her at the other woman’s kindness that she was undeserving of.

Turning around, Alex leant back against the bar, and Lena briefly met her eyes before quickly looking away, clearing her throat. Alex placed her order first and Lena watched as the bartender swiftly opened the bottles and set them on the counter. Nudging one towards Lena, Alex leant in close.

“Look- oh, hey!”

Lena’s stomach dropped as she glanced to see who had snagged Alex’s attention, relief slamming into her, so strong that she felt like her knees might buckle, as she found herself facing someone other than Kara. Lena knew the other doctor, one Kelly Olsen who worked as a psychiatrist and consulted with some of Lena’s new patients on particularly bad cases. They weren’t friends, but she knew her well enough from nights out drinking to give her a nod in hello.

And then Lena’s stomach lurched as she kissed Alex, in plain view of what must’ve been half of the hospital, a flurry of panic rising in Lena’s chest as her mouth fell open. Alex was speaking to her in a low voice, looking completely enamoured with her before she slipped her a beer and squeezed her arm, jerking her head at Lena. Kelly nodded at Lena, her dark eyes lingering on her for a moment before she drifted off to the table they’d secured for themselves and their friends.

“Does Kara know about that?” Lena flatly asked.

Eyebrows rising in surprise, Alex let out a laugh, “of course she does, we tell each other everything”

Brow furrowing, Lena took a sip of beer and then looked down, confused as she reevaluated things.

“I didn’t realise that the two of you were … that you were so open with each other.”

With another laugh, Alex shrugged, “hey, everyone needs a person. Look, I know we don’t know each other that well, and I don’t know what happened between you and my sister, but-“

Stomach lurching, Lena’s attention snagged onto that one word as her pulse quickened and her hands turned clammy around the sweating beer bottle clutched tightly in her hands.

“What?”

“That’s the  _ one  _ thing she won’t tell me,” Alex scoffed, shaking her head, unaware of the wrecking ball she’d just sent crashing into Lena. “But whatever it is-“

“No,” Lena blurted out, breathless as she shook her head, feeling sick as the room closed in around her. “No, no, just- hang on, go back a second. You- Kara. Your sister.”

“She  _ misses  _ you,” Alex insisted, before she frowned, “are you feeling okay? You look a little pale.”

Closing her eyes, Lena drew in a ragged breath and pressed her lips together, pressing a hand to her forehead as she stood there. The world seemed to tilt beneath her feet, a tightening in her chest, as she realised just how  _ wrong _ she’d been.  Alex’s hand on her arm jerked her out of it and Lena set the bottle down on the bar, shaking off her touch as her whole body trembled with the adrenaline of the shock.

“I have to go.”

She left Alex standing alone at the bar, looking confused and a little bit irritated at Lena leaving before she could say her piece. Pushing through the bar, the air feeling close, suffocatingly warm, Lena pressed a hand to her chest and looked up.

Kara was wedged between Querl and Nia, the table crowded with drinks and food as they all laughed, the sound just cutting over the babble and music of the bar. Feeling the wind knocked out of her, Lena pushed her way towards Kara, feeling green with queasiness as she stopped beside her and Kara glanced up, doing a double-take at the sight of her.

“I need to talk to you,” Lena rasped.

“Unless one of my patients is coding, I think it can wait until tomorrow,” Kara coolly replied, turning in her seat.

Clapping a hand on her shoulder, Lena ducked down, her lips near her ear, feeling Kara shudder as she spoke. “It’s important. Please.”

With a sigh, Kara shifted her chair back and made her excuses, still smiling and laughing as she climbed to her feet, before fixing Lena with a blank look.

Eager to escape the overwhelming bar, Lena made for the door as Kara reluctantly followed after her, and the first lungful of cool air was sweet. Inhaling deeply, Lena moved off to the side of the door and stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, before turning around and opening her mouth. She clamped it shut as she looked at Kara, wary and silent as she lingered outside the door, and turned on her heel pacing away.

Neither of them spoke as Lena wrestled with herself, confused and angry and excited and sick, until Kara called out to her, her patience wearing thin, and Lena whirled around.

“Just spit it out, Lena!”

Eyes blazing with anger and silver with tears, Lena let out a strangled sound as her face crumpled. “Why didn’t you tell me you were Alex’s  _ sister!” _

_ “What?”  _ Kara exclaimed, her face screwing up as she drew back, surprised by the turn of the conversation. “I did.”

“No,” Lena tightly replied, “no, you  _ didn’t.” _

_ “Yes, I did. _ And what’s that got to do with anything anyway?”

Raking a hand through her hair, Lena tipped her head back and let out a choked laugh. “You told me you met her when you were thirteen.”

“Yes,” Kara slowly replied, “that’s how old I was when they adopted me.”

_ “Adopted,”  _ Lena rasped, feeling faint. “You said you loved her when she- she went away to college.”

Eyes clouded with bewilderment, Kara spread her hands as she shrugged, “we didn’t get along for the longest time. I- Lena, what’s going on?”

“You didn’t  _ tell  _ me that,” Lena exclaimed, rubbing at her forehead as her cheeks reddened with mortification, “I’ve been here nearly a  _ year  _ and not a  _ single person _ has mentioned that you’re sisters.”

“We have the same last name.”

“But you don’t  _ look alike.  _ And not in the way siblings don’t look alike but … nothing  _ at all.” _

“Well, yeah, I was adopted, I just said-“

“But  _ I  _ didn’t know that! I thought-“

Lena cut herself off, turning around with taut shoulders as she rubbed a hand over her face, feeling foolish and embarrassed and  _ awful.  _ This whole time she’d thought Kara was  _ married _ , was flirting with Lena while she had a wife in a different hospital wing, had  _ kissed _ her while her wife was oblivious. She couldn’t even bring herself to admit what she’d thought as Kara stared at her back.

“What? What did you think? That we- that Alex and I- no, you  _ didn’t,”  _ Kara slowly said, her voice growing quieter as surprise took ahold of her.

Tipping her head back, Lena exhaled slowly. “You have a necklace with an  _ A  _ on it. You  _ live _ together. What was I supposed to think?”

Her embarrassment made her snap, unable to turn around and meet Kara’s eyes as she waited for her derision. And then to Lena’s great surprise, Kara let out a loud laugh. It was full of amusement and no malice, catching Lena by surprise as she slowly turned to give her an incredulous look.

“No, no, no, oh  _ God,  _ no. You thought that we- that we were  _ married _ ? Oh no, is that- I kissed you.”

“Yes,” Lena tightly replied, “you  _ kissed  _ me.”

“So it wasn’t- you didn’t- it was because you thought that … I was cheating on my … sister?”

Flushing bright red, Lena scowled at the sidewalk,  _ “don’t  _ say it like that.”

“But … that’s it, right? That’s what you thought? Why you-“

Throwing her hands up in a helpless manner, Lena let out a strained laugh, “yes, okay? Yes, that’s what I thought and I didn’t- I didn’t want to be  _ that _ person. I didn’t want to be a homewrecker.”

With a lighthearted laugh, Kara pressed a hand to her chest and doubled over with laughter as Lena watched on, disgruntled and thinly amused. It had been a long time since she’d heard Kara laugh like that, and despite the mess of it all, she could feel the old warmth in her chest as her lips twitched with the ghost of a smile.

“It’s  _ not  _ funny.”

Straightening up as she wiped at her eyes, Kara smiled widely, “it is though.  _ God,  _ I thought that you- well, that’s not why  _ I  _ thought you were reacting like that.”

“What did you-“ Lena trailed off as her mouth went slack and she paled, pressing a hand to her mouth. “Oh no. No, no, Kara, that’s not- it wasn’t because- because you’re a woman. I- really, trust me when I say … in the  _ most _ embarrassing way ever, the last year has been …  _ agonising _ for me. Thinking you were married …”

Taking a cautious step forward, Kara cocked her head to the side as she looked at her with a spark of hope in her blue eyes. 

“So, you mean to say …”

Grinding her teeth together, Lena gave her a wry smile, averting her gaze as Kara slowly crept closer, a smile playing on her lips.

“I  _ like _ you, okay?” Lena admitted, “I’ve never liked anyone as much as I’ve liked you and if you’d kissed me-“

"You're not going to vomit again, right?"

Groaning as embarrassment washed over her, Lena covered her face with a hand, "I didn't mean to-"

She cut off as Kara cupped her cheeks and kissed her, her lips firm and soft, and Lena’s eyelids fluttered closed as she covered Kara’s hand with her own. And this time, Lena didn’t pull away, shouting in anger over a misunderstanding. This time, they understood each other perfectly and she grabbed the front of Kara’s jacket and pulled her closer, until she ran out of air and pulled away.

Nose to nose, they drew in ragged, uneven breaths, cheeks pink and eyes bright, and Lena leant in to gently brush her lips against Kara’s again, her heart pounding with the thrill of it.

“I like you too,” Kara whispered, and the words made Lena’s stomach flip with joy. “I thought maybe I just wasn’t as good at flirting as I imagined; you blew me off so many times and invited other people to the date I tried to ask you out on-“

“That was a date?” Lena quietly groaned, burying her face into Kara’s shoulder as she clung to her jacket.

“Was I not obvious enough?”

“I thought you were married to your sister!” Lena exclaimed into the denim, her voice muffled, “I’d say that was definitely  _ not _ obvious!”

Gently pushing Lena back, Kara gave her a crooked smile of disbelief, “did no one  _ really  _ tell you?”

_ “No!  _ Everyone just refers to you both as Doctor Danvers! I  _ barely _ see Alex at work; when were we supposed to have a nice chat about  _ you, _ and your lovely childhood spent  _ hating  _ each other?”

“Hm,” Kara hummed, shrugging half-heartedly, “well  _ maybe  _ if you’d come out with me more-“

“I’m many things, but I’m  _ not  _ a masochist. I couldn’t bear the thought of sitting there night after night, thinking you were …  _ in love.  _ Maybe if I  _ was _ a masochist, I would’ve learnt the truth sooner but …  _ God _ , Sam’s going to kill me!”

“Sam?”

“She’d already told me everything about you before I even showed up. She thought you were  _ exactly _ what I needed until I had to break the news to her that you were off the market.”

“Did you  _ really _ come to that conclusion based on looks, surname and a  _ necklace?” _

“Does it really sound  _ that _ far fetched? What  _ else _ was I supposed to assume?”

With a chuckle, Kara grinned and fingered the pendant around her neck, before Lena reached out to touch it, their fingers lightly brushing.

“What  _ does _ it stand for?”

“My birth mother. Her name was Alura. Her and my father passed in a car accident.”

“I’m sorry,” Lena winced.

“Don’t be.”

Shaking her head, Lena gave Kara a pained smile, squeezing her arm. “For all of it. You must’ve thought I was such an ass. I thought  _ you  _ were being the ass, making me the other woman.”

Chuckling again, Kara threw an arm around Lena’s shoulder, “I can’t  _ wait _ to tell Alex.”

Groaning, Lena covered her face as Kara started shepherding her towards the door, their conversation over for now. Lena was sure there would be more to come later, but she didn’t care at the moment. Things were definitely looking a lot brighter than she’d thought even an hour ago, and she could withstand the mortification of merciless teasing if it meant that things with Kara were fixed.  _ Better _ than fixed.

“Hang on, I just have to send a message,” Lena said as Kara held the door open for her and she slowly stepped back into the packed room.

**_[Lena]:_ ** _ SHE’S NOT MARRIED!!!!! _


End file.
